In his upcoming memoir, Citizen: My Life After the White House, former President Bill Clinton shares his personal “rules of politics,” offering advice such as keeping “your feelings out of work,” never drinking in public, and taking criticism “seriously but not personally.”
Published in an excerpt by People on Friday, Clinton reveals these “Clinton’s Rules of Politics,” which he has relied on for years to “explain, enlighten, and lighten up political conversations.” Among the 13 principles, he includes advice like “Never drink in public — you might act like yourself,” and “Everyone is for change in general but often against it in particular — it depends on whose ox is being gored.”
Memoir features Clinton’s humor and wisdom in 13 political rules
Clinton also shares additional insights such as, “You’re always most vulnerable when you feel invulnerable or when you’re angry and exhausted,” “Whenever you hear, ‘It’s nothing personal,’ brace yourself,” and “Don’t give up on people — if you dig long enough, there’s almost always still a person down there somewhere.”
The advice Clinton most values, however, comes from the late Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-Texas), who told him, “Never tell anyone to go to hell unless you can make them go.” In the book, set to be released Tuesday, Clinton recalls adding a new rule following his wife Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election loss to Donald Trump.
He advises, “If you’re ever in the room with someone who says… ‘but you’re going to win anyway,’ smile, thank them for their time, and get out of that room as fast as you can.” Clinton explains that such a statement usually means the person may want your success but is too afraid to publicly support you. He suggests, “When you hear ‘anyway,’ get ready to move.”
